Forty Years in South China eBook

the streets are so narrow and filthy, the countenances
of the great mass of the people, at least to a newcomer,
are so destitute of intelligent expression, and the
bodies and clothing, and habits of the multitudes
are so uncleanly, that one is compelled to exclaim
in surprise, ’Are these the people who stand
at the top of pagan civilization, and who look upon
all men as barbarous, except themselves?’ Besides,
everything looks old. Buildings, temples, even
the rocks and the hills have a peculiar appearance
of age and seem to be falling into decay. I am
happy to say, however, that as we become better acquainted
with the country and the people, many of these unfavorable
impressions are removed. After passing a little
to the north of Amoy, the appearance of the coast entirely
changes. Even in this mountainous region we have
valleys and plains, which would suffer but little
by comparison with any other country for beauty and
fertility. I also love the scenery around the
city of Amoy very much. The city is situated
on the western side of an island of the same name.
This part of the island in its general appearance
is very similar to the coast of which I have spoken.
It is rocky and mountainous and barren. There
are, however, among these barren hills many small fertile
spots, situated in the ravines and along the watercourses,
which on account of their high state of cultivation
form a lovely contrast with the surrounding barrenness.
Wherever the Chinese, at least in this part of the
Empire, can find a watercourse, by cultivation they
will turn the most barren soil into a garden.
The sides of the ravines are leveled by digging down,
and walling up, if necessary, forming terraces or
small fields, the one above the other. These
small fields are surrounded by a border of impervious
clay. The water is conducted into the higher of
these terraces, and from them conducted into those
which are lower, as the state of the crops may demand.
Often a field of paddy may be seen inundated, while
the next field below, in which perhaps the sweet potato
is growing, is kept perfectly dry. Among the
hills there is much of picturesque scenery, and some
that is truly sublime. The Buddhists have exhibited
an exquisite taste for natural scenery, in selecting
such places for the situation of many of their temples.”

ANCESTRAL WORSHIP

“Their respect for ancestors is very great,
so much so that the species of idolatry which has
by far the strongest hold upon their minds is ancestral
worship. This is the stronghold by which Satan
maintains his supremacy over the minds of the people,
and this we may expect will be the last to give way
to the power of the Gospel of Christ. One may
hold up their gods to ridicule and they will laugh
at his remarks, but they do not love to hear the worship
of their ancestors spoken against. This worship,
after the period of mourning is over, consists chiefly
in offering at stated times various articles of food